TROY, N.Y. – The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) softball team fell in both games of a Liberty League doubleheader against nationally strong Rochester this afternoon at Robison Field, dropping the opener 9-1 before a late rally came up short in a 7-3 setback in the finale.  

Rochester took advantage of early traffic on the bases and a five-run seventh inning to pull away in game one.

The Yellowjackets opened the scoring in the second, using a pair of walks before Katelyn Wade doubled to right to bring home the game's first run. Rochester then broke it open in the third, plating three runs on a string of hits and productive outs to build a 4-0 lead. 

RPI answered in the bottom of the third. Evann McDowell ripped a triple down the right-field line and scored when Callista Adorno grounded out to second for an RBI to cut the deficit to 4-1. 

The Engineers kept the game within reach through six, but Rochester erupted in the seventh. A leadoff single and another base hit set up Riley Laygo's three-run triple, and the Yellowjackets tacked on two more in the inning to extend the margin to 9-1. 

McDowell accounted for one of RPI's three hits and scored the lone run, while Olivia Termi and Jackie Cutting added the other base knocks.

Game two saw Rochester jumped out early with two runs in the top of the first, highlighted by Rowan Mulholland's two-run single through the right side. RPI would then break through in the fifth, as Speanburg singled and later came around to cut it to 2-1. 

The Yellowjackets seized control in the sixth, scoring five runs on five hits and an RPI error, including a two-run double by Wade and an RBI single by Ilana Weiss to make it 7-1. 

RPI responded with two runs in the bottom of the seventh. Callista Adorno bunted for a single and advanced into scoring position before Olivia Termi singled down the left-field line. After Addison Shaffer worked a walk to load the bases, Adorno scored on a ground-ball double play, and Lauren Cosselman followed with an RBI single to center to bring home the final run and make it 7-3. 

Speanburg led the offense by going 3-for-3 with a walk and a run scored, while Shaffer went 2-for-3 with a double and a walk. Termi added a single and a walk, and Cosselman drove in a run.

The Engineers continue their homestand with a Tuesday afternoon doubleheader against non-conference foe Hamilton.